Leader of the county council councillor Geoff Driver said: “This scheme will create three new roads on the western side of Preston, from the M55 towards Blackpool Road and Riversway. This will benefit residents and businesses not just in the local area, but across Preston, South Ribble, large parts of the Fylde coast, and further afield.

“We’re already talking with landowners to see if they will agree to sell or grant us the necessary rights by agreement. This is an important stage in the process as we can only begin construction once we have the land we need.

“A new M55 junction will reduce congestion by creating more capacity on the network, in particular at Broughton roundabout at Junction 1 of the M55 and on the local roads around it. It will also improve access on the west side of Preston, so that people don’t need to use narrow country lanes.These roads will also support new housing and business development in the area. There will be opportunities for new bus priority measures, improvements to local public spaces and initiatives to encourage walking and cycling.

“There are many important stages to go through when building any road, which takes time to carry out. Making these Orders and getting confirmation from the Secretary of State will help us to keep our plans moving along.”

Adding in the two link roads to Fulwood and Cottam the whole scheme is expected to cost nearly £190million and is being funded through the a mixture of public and private money – notably the City Deal, a £434million investment in new roads and housing across the city.

The county council is preparing a full business case which is due to the go to the Secretary of State for approval.

It will also be submitted to the Lancashire Economic Partnership.

Chair of the LEP’s Growth Deal management board Graham Cowley said: “Improved connectivity and better transport infrastructure is a key priority for the LEP and the government’s Northern Powerhouse programme, and this scheme will help to unlock massive economic potential throughout central Lancashire. Such transformational project, which can spark growth, create jobs and kick-start new investment opportunities, are also exactly what the Local Growth Deal Fund is designed to facilitate. This is why the LEP has granted conditional approval for £58m of funding towards the Preston dual carriageway element of the scheme, allowing this package of proposals to move forward.”

What do you think about the Preston Western Distributor? Do you think it will help ease congestion? Let us know in the comments below